ICC concerns few Kenyans, analyst says

LONDON, March 13 (UPI) -- Kenyans are more concerned whether President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta can lead effectively and not his upcoming trial at The Hague, a policy analyst said.

Kenyatta, the deputy prime minister, secured the outright majority needed to win the country's presidential election in the first round.

His main challenger, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said he'd challenge the results in court. Odinga's election complaints in 2007 sparked violence that left thousands of Kenyans dead and led to charges filed by the International Criminal Court against top officials, including Kenyatta.

Adjoa Anyimadu, a researcher on African affairs at Chatham House, writes that while the ICC case preoccupied most international observers, for Kenyans it was domestic affairs that dominated the election.

"For the majority of Kenyans, the priority now will be whether the new president can see through the program of economic, judicial and police reforms set into action by the 2010 constitution," she writes.

The constitution enacted laws meant to avoid a repeat of the 2007 election violence. Apart for minor skirmishes with separatists on Election Day, there were few reports of violence during the election.

The African Union praised Kenya "for the successful and peaceful conclusions of the elections."

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